Amazon Basics 1000 Volt VDE Insulated End Wire Stripping Pliers, 6-inch

These work well when I'm working on known live wires or when I'm on site and don't have the ability to lock out tag out and there are other people on site. I haven't been shocked yet and I've stripped many live lines within the rating of these. I don't need them often and obviously prefer to work on dead conductors whenever possible but sometimes you have to play nice with the client or other contractors and you can't kill a circut and you need to get your work done so you can move on with your day. These allow you to do that relatively safely if you know what your doing. NOT RECOMMENDED FOR HOMEOWNERS or those not trained properly to work with electricity!!!! SERIOUSLY.... CALL A PRO and don't order these if you're a homeowner looking for a way to work on live lines! Pay the bill and live another day without endangering other occupants in the building after your "repair" is completed. YouTube videos don't tell anyone "how to" come back to life or replace all your belongings or family members. Don't be cheap with saftey systems..... not everything is DIY just because a stranger on YouTube told you so!

So far these have been nice to use and held up well. The rubber handles give some added safety when working around electricity but offer extra cushion even if you aren't. Overall I'm happy and these were cheaper than h-freight without leaving home!

For the $12 these could not be beat. At nearly $20 not a good deal. For $35 you can get a insulated WIHA insulated VDE water pump plier with real hardened German steel that will last many years longer and is used by the trades. WHIA like Knipex open a lot wider.It is not for professional use since it is 50 % heavier than a real Knipex alligator and the teeth are not as sharp.The metal is much thicker than the alligator and not as polished. But I have doubts it could take the repeated abuse including being stood on and supporting a full body weight as seen in knipex videos. When I have a dirty, abusive job I use my alligators and save my cobras. These however, I will save around electricity since none of other ones are insulated.The insulated handles are very comfortable and there is no slip or jiggle in the joint. It does not open as wide as the alligator with 2 less hinge joint positions.What’s funny is the 3 piece Amazon Basics insulated electricians pliers are so much more refined and balanced and more European like than these Basics. Those pliers are the same weight as the European tools and equally polished and seem to be of a much higher steel alloy than this water pump pliers.The 9:piece insulated plier (3) and and insulated screwdrivers (6) is under $19. And is the best deal of all and I bought 5 sets as gifts.Water pump,plier was Good deal at $12 it not at $20. But again 9 piece underm$19 with 3 VSE pliers and screwdrivers way to go for homeowner..

They aint knipex but its a simple task, you shouldnt be working live boxes with short conductors anyways right? But when you gotta….Insulation seems legit, megged handles to 2kV dry, damp, and saltwater dampened with success! Keep em clean and they will do their job!

This was exactly what I needed for doing the electrical work on my old home. I replaced an overhead light and I felt a lot more comfortable using pliers made to task as opposed to a regular pair of needle nose. The grip was a little large for my hand, but that isn’t a huge deterrent considering my hands are tiny. These are going in my everyday tool box so I have them to work on the solar panel set up I’m putting together and when I redo the electrical in my van. Good buy.

Good quality tool with lots of adjustment to get just the right cut depth.

Hey, if you have to pull a breaker these are Dandy. I feel safe with these, like electricity cannot hurt me. I recommend these to everybody who might have to pull a breaker or hook up some wires or who works with electricity!!

The high voltage rating of the grips is mostly just a sales pitch and wastes space in your tool box. The lack of a wire cutter is annoying too. And at first it's hard to guess how much insulation you're stripping because of the unconventional jaws. But if you need to strip various light gauge wires, guessing at how much pressure will cut the insulation but not the copper, these seem to allow for a bigger margin of error than conventional designs. Worth a try if you work with a variety of components with varying wire gauge.